In the seldom-found wrapper

UNDERWOOD, Reginald ~ Bachelor’s Hall

Second UK Printing : The Fortune Press, London : 1937

8vo., red publisher’s boards lettered in gilt to backstrip; together in the original unclipped publisher’s wrapper (10s. 6d.) printed in orange, featuring two favourable reviews from H. E. Bates and Arthur Waugh; a near-Fine BOOK, the gilt to spine a little dulled, with pushing to the tips; else a clean, fresh copy; the very good WRAPPER with ink price '10/6' to the upper panel; small corner crease to front flap, and the odd mark; closed 2cm tear to the lower flap; with some larger creases and tears to the lower panel. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. Second edition, with the first printing having been issued in 1934. It is rare to find any edition of this title in such condition, especially so in the wrapper. The Fortune Press was founded in 1924 by Reginald Ashley Caton (1897-1971). Specialising in the publication of gay erotica, the press was subjected to repeated legal difficulties, attention from the authorities, and a prosecution for obscene libel in 1934, three years before Bachelor’s Hall was published. Caton also appeared as a literary character, notably in novels by Kingsley Amis. Reginald Underwood was a Northamptonshire piano teacher and local historian who wrote a series of titles for the Fortune press. Bachelor’s Hall was declared ‘rank sodomy’ when it was first published in 1934, and in this copy, published three years later, the author adds in his preface that despite the prejudicial reviews the work endured, he consoles himself with the knowledge that he has helped and enlightened many readers regarding what he calls the ‘intermediate temperament’. Indeed, there is nothing remotely salacious about Underwood’s highly-strung story, which follows a troubled young man who is unable to come to terms with his homosexual feelings which, largely expressed through his love for a younger man, lead to an almost inevitable (spoiler) tragic conclusion. The book must certainly have reflected something of the difficulties experienced by many, but it is a rather overheated take, and perhaps Underwood’s attitude is rooted in the central character - Adrian’s - rural, lower-middle-class position, where his lack of access to a wider knowledge of the world, hinted at through other characters, would have eased his self-questioning. Any Fortune Press titles are rare indeed to find in their original wrappers.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Very Good